


Finding Home for Christmas

by shighola



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-21 08:30:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/595637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shighola/pseuds/shighola
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt #40 - Favorite holiday movie or tv special</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Home for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my beta GYGM.

It started his first year at SHIELD. Back when he wasn’t sure if this whole Agent thing was going to pan out. When he wasn’t sure if there was anyone there he could trust.

Clint never cared for Christmas. It sucked when he was a kid seeing the other kids happily playing with their new toys and reciting long lists of things Santa had brought them. When all Santa had brought him was a slap from his Dad and hours spent hiding in a cupboard from the man tearing apart anyone and thing which crossed his path. Santa was a joke and life was unfair. He learned those lessons early. It was no better at the orphanage, just insert bigger kids for his drunken father and it was same shit different day. At least at the circus there was a small meal shared together, but no presents to speak of. No one had money for that. Since then he'd been on his own. No point in celebrating when you had no one to celebrate with. 

So here he was, three months into his stint with SHIELD. Despite the incessant holidays songs playing and throngs of harried shoppers outside, inside the SHIELD headquarters there was little concession to the holidays. There were too many missions to be concerned with holiday cheer.

So Clint was surprised when headquarters suddenly became a ghost town in the last 48 hours before Christmas. Apparently even SHIELD agents had family to spend the holidays with. That was fine though. He’d have the run of things while everyone was gone. Warmth, a roof over his head and unlimited range access. He didn’t need much more than that.

*******

After six hours on the range, he’d shot his fill for a while. He headed up to the higher levels in search of food and some kind of distraction. Strolling the deserted hallways, he made his way to Coulson’s office out of habit and was surprised to see a light under his handler’s door. 

Clint knocked and poked his head in without waiting for an answer. Coulson paused in the middle of typing and looked up, a single blink the only show of his surprise.

“Barton, what are you doing here?”

“I came to ask you the same thing, sir.”

“You didn’t want to leave for the holiday? You are aware you have time off.”

Clint shrugged, “Nowhere to go, sir. Figured I’d just stay here. Hit the range. Relax. That’s ok, right?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” Coulson replied.

“What about you? Didn’t you want to go see your family, sir?”

“There’s just my sister. I saw her at Thanksgiving. And...”

“What she un-invite you for Christmas?” Clint chuckles.

Coulson shrugs. “In a way. She and her husband are separated, but they’re trying a reconciliation, so they’re having a family Christmas - just them and the kids.”

“Oh. Shit, I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine, Barton. You didn’t know,” Coulson waves off his apology.

Clint feels like an ass. Of course he managed to put his foot in it. He knew what it was like to be left behind, to not be included. He never wanted to make anyone, especially Coulson feel bad about that.

Coulson was an alright guy. He didn’t talk down to Clint even though he was an uneducated ex-carnie whose only skill was hitting the target every single time. Clint may not have gone to school, but he wasn’t dumb. He knew what SHIELD valued him for, so he made sure they would never have cause to doubt his abilities.

Coulson was different though. He listened when Clint made suggestions. He even let him ramble on the comms when they were just waiting for the target.

“So I was just gonna get some food, wanna come with,” Clint asked.

Coulson hesitated, then nodded. “Food sounds good.”

Clint smiled, relieved, then stepped into the hall while Coulson locked his office behind him and they headed out.

The mess wasn’t serving meals, but it was fully stocked and there were plenty of leftovers from the previous day. They warmed some things up and loaded their plates, then walked over to the rec room. Sat on the couch, Coulson found some Christmas movie marathon on one of the basic cable channels. They ate in silence together through Miracle on 34th Street (the original), Home Alone and the Santa Clause.

After the last movie ended, Coulson just nodded and left to go home or back to his office. Clint went back to his room strangely relaxed. Crawling into bed he realized this had been the nicest Christmas he’d had for years.

*******

After that it became tradition. No matter where they were, if they were in the US or not, Clint and Phil spent Christmas together. it was a simple celebration - a shared meal and their three movie marathon. They sometimes split their time with Phil’s sister or Natasha, but always Christmas Eve or Day, it was just them quietly watching their movies.

*******

Now years later, comfortable in their apartment in Avengers Tower, Clint is simply happy his husband is actually alive to see another Christmas. He makes a point of dragging Phil from the neat stacks of paperwork on his desk to the couch, where they snuggle under a blanket.

“Jarvis, please play Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone and the Santa Clause.”

“Certainly, Agent Barton.”

Now their Christmas celebration could begin.


End file.
